. >> the democrats don't have a grover norquist. >> group of people in the house of representatives slapped around their own leader. >> there's a word called compromise. >> it doesn't work this way. >> how does it work? >> basic fairness. >> i love that you are the last person i want to talk to before i go to sleep at night. >> a lot of democrats get mad at me. >> i am cautiously optimistic. >> the vice president and i worked together on solutions before. we can again. >> you say things like that and you make it impossible for me to hate you. >> but the american people elected me to put forward a balanced approach. >> my whole life i don't know what this song means. it means should old acquaintance be forgot. >> i want to wish everybody a happy new year. >> let's bring in the new year with our panel, jimmy williams and susan del percio and angela, general counsel for the congressional black caucus. welcome all of you. jimmy, let's start with the fiscal cliff. >> fiscal cliff. >> we're hearing about a strange marriage between minority leader mitch mcconnell and the vice president. why is the